For Better, For Worse
by Payson-Nicky-forever
Summary: They tiptoed around their feelings in their own screwed up little dance, always careful to stay an arm's length apart. But he had broken the rules. And now he might have lost her forever. Pre-TLH Jeyna


This isn't my first fanfic. I've written like 20 for another fandom, but this is my first PJO attempt. Jeyna is my absolute favorite couple, and I just had to write a one-shot for them.

Disclaimer: I don't own PJO or HoO

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**For Better, For Worse**

The Titan War was upon them, that much Jason knew for certain. He had been training for years for this moment, whether he had known it at the time or not. Twelve years he'd been at Camp Jupiter, and every leader of the camp had failed to mention to him that he was destined to fight a Titan to the death. That is, until she became praetor.

"Lupa says we have two days, if we're lucky," Reyna said, joining him on the balcony that overlooked the entire valley. Jason glanced over at her, noticing how her dark eyes were roaming all around, undoubtedly trying to decide the best strategy for if the camp was invaded.

He sighed. "Well, we both know we're never lucky."

Reyna nodded, but remained silent, still staring.

He looked back at her, this time into those deep, dark eyes that every person in camp thought were cold and calculating, but only he knew were really were just one of Reyna's many defense mechanisms that she took far more pride in than even her abilities with her dagger. It had taken almost four years, but he had finally broken almost all of them down. Even though she still held him at arms length, he took pride in the fact that it was closer than anyone else at camp.

"I've been thinking," he started to say. She glanced at him, an insult on the tip of her tongue, but she held it back, a sign, to Jason, that embodied the absolute desperation she felt but did her best to hide. "Rey, there's a good chance that one of us won't make it back from this."

"Don't say th-"

Jason interrupted. "I have to," he mumbled so softly that she had to strain her ears to hear him. "I have to say this, Reyna, because I've been holding it in for too long. I've loved you since the first time I met you on that stupid pirate ship in the middle of the ocean, and I've let you push me away for way too long."

After his little speech (which he had worked on for nearly two weeks), Reyna turned back toward the valley, not even glancing at him. Jason felt his heart sink to his shoes as he watched her.

He stood there staring at her for a good thirty seconds before his hurt and embarrassment manifesting itself in the form of anger. "Say something!" he snapped at her.

"What do you want me to say, Grace?" she shouted back at him, finally turning back around to face him. This was what they did. They yelled and shouted and snapped and they _definitely _did not talk about their feelings. He had wandered into new territory, and it scared the Styx out of her. "Do you want me to start weeping, jump into your arms, and tell you everything's going to be okay because we have each other? We don't live in some stupid romance movie, Jason."

He glared at her, his anger getting the better of him. "You know what, you're right, Reyna. Because in stupid romance movies it's obvious why the guy likes the girl. She's always pretty, smart, funny. What are you? Cold, calculating, distance. And that's your good qualities. Don't even get me started on the b-"

She didn't even say another word as she turned on her heel and stormed away, making sure to knock his shoulder so hard he had to stop talking. "Reyna," he called at her retreating figure. He ran after her, but she slammed the balcony door in his face and was gone, her purple cape billowing behind her.

xx

The two days leading up to the battle crept by. Jason and Reyna avoided each other like the plague at morning and evening muster, during training, and at meals. In the three and a half years they had known each other, he could not remember a time when he had spoken to his best friend less. He felt bad about ignoring her, especially since she was running the entire camp by herself after the death of her co praetor a week earlier, but he just couldn't bring himself to swallow his pride and talk to her.

He had not meant a bad word he said about her, but that is how they always resolved things. As soon as one of them would say something that hit a little too close to how they feel about each other, the other would shoot an insult or change the subject. They tiptoed around their feelings in their own screwed up little dance, always careful to stay an arm's length apart. But he had broken the rules. And now he might have lost her forever.

"Jason?" He nearly jumped out of his skin when he heard Gwen's voice behind him, having been sitting on the steps of his father's temple for nearly forty-five minutes, thinking about the state of utter disarray his relationship with Reyna was in.

He looked up at his friend noticing that her long red hair was pulled back into a ponytail and her golden armor looked as if it had just been polished. Her eyebrows with knitted in concern, and she was giving him _that look. _The one that made him want to spill his every secret and concern to her because he knew she would not judge him, would not tell anyone anything he told her. "You've been acting weird, Jase," she began, sitting down beside him.

He fought the urge to spill his guts to her, reaching his hands down to pluck blades of grass to avoid looking into her eyes as he lied to his longtime friend. "It's nothing," the son of Jupiter mumbled. "Just nervous about storming Mount Othrys tonight."

"I'm sure you are," the legacy of Venus said. "But I know that look. It's your thinking-about-Reyna look."

Jason glared at her, but it was half-assed at best. He sighed. "I ruined everything, Gwen."

The older girl placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. "I'm sure you didn't ruin everything, Cloudhead. You and Reyna love each other. Always have, always will. Even if you're both too stubborn to admit it."

"That's the problem," he said, dropping his head to his knees. "I did admit it. I laid everything out there. Then she shut me down, just like she always does. And I, of course, just _had_ to make things worse by yelling at her." He sat back up and ran a hand through his short blond hair. "Gods, Gwen, I said some horrible things to her. I wouldn't blame her if she never forgives me."

"It can't be that bad."

Jason told her what he had said to his best friend, and the red-haired girl smacked the back of his head. "Gods of Olympus, Jason! Why? Why on Earth would you say something like that to her?"

"Because she hurt me first!" he shouted, rising to his feet and waving his arms in the air in frustration. Anger boiled inside him once again. "I practically gift-wrap my heart and hand it to her on a silver platter, and she throws it back in my face!"

Gwen stood as well. Jason thought she was going to slap him again, but she surprised him by pulling him into a comforting hug. "You know Reyna," she whispered into his ear. "She has so many walls up. It's her last defense mechanism. If a person isn't scared off by her eyes or her dagger, she makes sure they can't get close enough to hurt her. You're the only one that's ever came close, and that scares her. Give her a little time, Jason. She'll come around."

Jason pulled away from her, a genuine smile on his face. "If the titans aren't the death of me," he said, turning to walk toward the forum where the entire Legion was gathering before the battle. "It'll definitely be Reyna."

xx

Reyna stood away from her troops, her dark eyes taking in everything. A Centurion from the Fourth was polishing his _gladius_ while a Senator from the Second tried to comfort her crying six year-old little brother. Bobby and Dakota were tossing what looked like on of Octavian's stuffed animals around, knocking into anyone that had the misfortune of standing or sitting in their way.

Then she saw him walk in, followed closely by Gwen. Every person in the forum turned to look at him, those that were sitting stood up, and those that were already standing stood up straighter. People looked up to and respected Jason Grace. Nearly all and girl (and a few of the boys) would have given anything to have been in her position on that balcony, listening as Camp Jupiter's golden boy confessed his feelings for them.

Reyna knew how lucky she was to have Jason in love with her. Not because he was the 'Chosen One' or any of that Styx that the daughters of Venus gushed about. Jason was so much more to her than that. He was the only one that could make her heart beat at twice its normal rate just by looking at her with those blue, blue eyes. He was the only one that knew about the pirates and Circe, and she was okay with that because Jason understood.

Before she even realized what was happening, her legs had walked halfway toward him. She hesitated for a moment, but then she continued, walking until she was standing right behind him while he spoke to the Fifth Cohort.

"I know the odds are against us," he began. If he knew she was standing there, he didn't acknowledge her. His troops didn't even glance at her, as they were all too busy hanging onto Jason's every word. Reyna didn't mind. She had always been happy to stand in Jason's shadow, far enough away to avoid the spotlight, but close enough to kick him in the _podex_ every now and then if he needed it. "But we can do this. You know why?"

The entire crowd, which now included every Cohort except the First, shook their heads.

"Because we each have someone worth fighting for. And right now you're all thinking about that person. I know I am," he glanced at her out of the corner of his eye. Reyna smiled, he did know she was there. "And as long as every single one of you thinks about that person, the one person in the entire world that matters more to you than your own life-" Her breath caught in her throat, but Jason didn't stop. "then the Titans can't stop us."

The entire Legion, including the First, all cheered. They dispersed, the girls noticing that the two camp leaders needed a moment alone and dragging the boys with them.

Jason turned to her, but said nothing. Reyna knew that it was on her to fix things. He had done nothing but love her, and she had taken his heart and stomped it on the ground. If it was the other way around, she probably would have stabbed him, Chosen One or not.

"I'm sorry." Always a good way to start.

Jason stayed silent. Reyna took a deep breath and continued, "Grace, you have to understand. Aside from my sister I've never had anyone tell me that they love me, and it scared me. I was scared that one of us would screw this up, and that I'd lose you, no matter what happened with the Titans. And, Gods, I can't lose you. I just can't."

Jason wasn't really sure how to follow up that little speech, so he settled for doing what he had dreamed of doing since he had rescued her (okay, so she might have been the one doing the rescuing, even if she was the prisoner) from that pirate ship over three years ago.

He kissed her.

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Well? Please review!


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